Lost in Adaptation: Bram Stoker's Dracula

I'd also be interested in seeing a review of A Christmas Carol as just about every film/TV adaptation I've seen has left certain things out so the story makes less sense than it should do. It would be nice to see somebody at last address this.

Kim Huett

Such a funny episode: loved your intro with the glasses joke! You make a cute Dracula. Who was the actor playing Van Helsing? I guess Coppola was trying to make Dracula more an anti-hero than the straight up monster Dracula is in the book. I usually like moral ambiguity as it creates three-dimensional characters but it did not work in this film. The film would have been scarier if Dracula was a monster ruining the lives of innocent, good people like he did in the book. The humans in the film are boring and Oldman Dracula was whimpy. Real missed opportunity Mr. Coppola. :/

Ray Day

I'm so glad you mentioned how utterly unlikable Dracula was in the book. I'm currently refreshing my memory by listening to an audio reading of the story and keep being struck how differently Dracula is portrayed to every film version I've ever watched. It actually makes sense because really Dracula began as little more that a local warlord, a person for whom charm and breeding meant little.

Kim Huett

Great job! Those jokes were awesome on so many levels! Those sun glasses, though...

Meg Scrabble

Very funny good sir! Also, I gotta remember to add "member of shocked crowed" to my resume.

Lizzy Gravelle

I agree with you about the movie messing up the actual tone of the book. I still feel the first movie captured the book the best overall. Even though it only used about half the book's plot. I haven't seen the Christopher Lee Hammer films yet. Need to find a way to watch them. Maybe Fight Club next?

LS Greger

Nice job Dom! You look very goth :)

Fantastic work and I have to add that you are getting a lot funnier! I am noticing you are trying new things and your timing is getting so much better too! Also, I really second John Tillyard about doing A Christmas Carol and using the Jim Carrey uncanny valley version...just cause it would be weird!

David Perez

Very well done. I would love to get your take on "Interview with the vampire" which I thought was a pretty good adaptation, and "Queen of the Damned" which is horrible.

Zachery Egan

So does this mean that you will be doing A Christmas Carol when it gets to...you know, Christmas?

Buc Reviewer

Shit, now i notice everything wrong with this movie...Ah well I can still enjoy the book, and the film for what it is

AndrewJacksonBrown

Dom, you magnificent bastard, I was JUST thinking about rewatching this movie, and here you've done me one better. Excellent!

Tim Marsh

Fantastic job! The perfect Halloween episode--enjoyed it immensely and spotted nary a cock-up. :)

Amy Reynolds

I think this is awesome and I didn't see any mistakes. But the part of me who'll always hold a special place in my heart for my first Dracula, Frank Langella, wishes a clip of him was in here. No, I don't expect you to edit it to slip him in. But maybe when you get around to Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter you can find a place for him. In original vampire folklore vampires can be out and about in the day. There's even a folktale from Russia about a farmer who comes back as a vampire - but he's only seen during the day. He returns from the grave as a vampire to continue working his farm and make sure his wife and kids are taken care of then goes back to his grave at night. He does this until he's sure they can care for themselves. The entire time he doesn't speak, smells like he's rotting (most folklore agree that vampires stink, literally, they smell really bad, especially their breath), and his eyes glowed red all the time. As for inspirations behind Dracula I recommend the book Who Was Dracula?: Bram Stoker's Trail of Blood by Jim Steinmeyer which shows there were many different men who inspired different parts of Dracula - from Oscar Wilde to Jack The Ripper. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Who-Was-Dracula-Stokers-Trail/dp/014242188X" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Who-Was-Dracula-Stokers-Trail/dp/014242188X</a>